CC & OC RANT...I will no longer agree to disagree

[rxer311]

I will first start out by saying that 99% of the time I carry it is CC. Every once in a while I will choose to OC.

This past weekend was one of those times that I chose to OC due to comfort. The entire time I was out in public nobody said a word. Hell, I don't even think anybody noticed. After doing what I needed to do on Sunday morning I went to visit my parents and have a cookout lunch over there with my wife and daughter.

I was not brought up anti gun and I have had some of my other firearms at my parents house in the past, including my AR-15, so my Mom's response shocked me.

Mom: You can't carry a gun like that!
Me: Why not?
Mom: Its dangerous!
Me: If you didn't know, I always carry a firearm and always have it with me when I am here. You just never see it.
Mom: You are just asking for trouble. You can't carry it out in the open like that. You will be arrested!
Me: Why, its completely legal.
Mom: No its not.
Me: PA state law does not prohibit the open carrying of a firearm and I also have a PA LTCF.
Mom: But its not legal!
Me: Believe what you want, but it is.
Mom: Well you better not carry it around kids like at your nephew's T-ball game! That certainly is not legal.
Me: I carry BECAUSE of the kids. I fully intend to protect my daughter no matter the venue or the attacker.
Mom: Well you don't bring it here!
Me: Fine, I will leave (changed her attitude).
Mom: Okay, but you have to put it away while you are here.
Me: It is safer on my body than on top of the fridge where somebody might know know its there and can grab it or accidentally drop it.

The whole time my dad is silent and rolling his eyes at my Mom.

It went on like this for a while but essentially got the point that my Mom was like, we have to agree to disagree that it is safe to carry a firearm.

Anyway the next day my wife and I had a discussion about it. I won't go into all the details but the jist of it was that my wife said that not all people are comfortable with firearms, especially out in the open and went on to say you have to respect the rights of others. She is not anti gun and prefers that I do carry...but prefers for me to conceal around her and my daughter to prevent issues with LEOs while around them. She doesn't care how I carry when by myself. I respect this because she is my wife.

It got me to thinking though. When in public the RIGHTS belong to me. I have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms according to our US constitution and the PA constitution and it is clear that open carry is legal in PA. So what if people are "offended" or "scared?" They don't have a RIGHT to not be offended. I am offended when the hot chick barista at the coffee shop blows me off, that does not mean that I can control who she does talk to. That is their problem if they object to me doing something that is completely legal. They don't have to agree with it, but they sure do have to respect it.

I am sick of people saying we have to agree to disagree sometimes. I am especially sick of that term when it comes to gun control because when they say this they mean that they want to prohibit firearms in some way and don't care what you think. People who say that you have to agree to disagree are the same people who know they can't win the arguement based on facts.

We as gun owners have the law on our side. We do not have to agree to disagree with anybody. We are right. They are wrong. Period. It does not matter if they are your best friend, your parents, your sister, your Uncle Mike, or whoever. Its time we acknowledge when people are wrong and call them out on it.

I regret having to be firm with my own Mother, but as long as people are ignorant and unwilling to listen, then they will never learn the truth.

[ByblosHex]

She mind as well have freaked out because your wife was of a different ethnicity. That's how I look at it. It's a personal choice, not a public one. It's a personal expression, not a public one. It's legal. It's constitutionally protected; by the US CONUS and the PA CONUS. It's also a lot more representative of a person than a graphic T-Shirt; and it's a heck of a lot less offensive than many of those.

[Keith A]

I agree with you completely. I don't typically OC, but I am starting to get sick of "don't do it you'll scare the old ladies.." Either you support The Right To Keep And Bear Arms or you don't. For those that say "I support the second amendment, but..", think if someone said "I support the first amendment, but I don't think you should be allowed to say..."

Funny how no one is afraid when you cover it up. If there was a bomb in the room and you covered it up with a towel would everyone all of a sudden not be scared? I don't get it.

[internet troll]

I will first start out by saying that 99% of the time I carry it is CC. Every once in a while I will choose to OC.

This past weekend was one of those times that I chose to OC due to comfort. The entire time I was out in public nobody said a word. Hell, I don't even think anybody noticed. After doing what I needed to do on Sunday morning I went to visit my parents and have a cookout lunch over there with my wife and daughter.

I was not brought up anti gun and I have had some of my other firearms at my parents house in the past, including my AR-15, so my Mom's response shocked me.

Mom: You can't carry a gun like that!
Me: Why not?
Mom: Its dangerous!
Me: If you didn't know, I always carry a firearm and always have it with me when I am here. You just never see it.
Mom: You are just asking for trouble. You can't carry it out in the open like that. You will be arrested!
Me: Why, its completely legal.
Mom: No its not.
Me: PA state law does not prohibit the open carrying of a firearm and I also have a PA LTCF.
Mom: But its not legal!
Me: Believe what you want, but it is.
Mom: Well you better not carry it around kids like at your nephew's T-ball game! That certainly is not legal.
Me: I carry BECAUSE of the kids. I fully intend to protect my daughter no matter the venue or the attacker.
Mom: Well you don't bring it here!
Me: Fine, I will leave (changed her attitude).
Mom: Okay, but you have to put it away while you are here.
Me: It is safer on my body than on top of the fridge where somebody might know know its there and can grab it or accidentally drop it.

The whole time my dad is silent and rolling his eyes at my Mom.

It went on like this for a while but essentially got the point that my Mom was like, we have to agree to disagree that it is safe to carry a firearm.

Anyway the next day my wife and I had a discussion about it. I won't go into all the details but the jist of it was that my wife said that not all people are comfortable with firearms, especially out in the open and went on to say you have to respect the rights of others. She is not anti gun and prefers that I do carry...but prefers for me to conceal around her and my daughter to prevent issues with LEOs while around them. She doesn't care how I carry when by myself. I respect this because she is my wife.

It got me to thinking though. When in public the RIGHTS belong to me. I have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms according to our US constitution and the PA constitution and it is clear that open carry is legal in PA. So what if people are "offended" or "scared?" They don't have a RIGHT to not be offended. I am offended when the hot chick barista at the coffee shop blows me off, that does not mean that I can control who she does talk to. That is their problem if they object to me doing something that is completely legal. They don't have to agree with it, but they sure do have to respect it.

I am sick of people saying we have to agree to disagree sometimes. I am especially sick of that term when it comes to gun control because when they say this they mean that they want to prohibit firearms in some way and don't care what you think. People who say that you have to agree to disagree are the same people who know they can't win the arguement based on facts.

We as gun owners have the law on our side. We do not have to agree to disagree with anybody. We are right. They are wrong. Period. It does not matter if they are your best friend, your parents, your sister, your Uncle Mike, or whoever. Its time we acknowledge when people are wrong and call them out on it.

I regret having to be firm with my own Mother, but as long as people are ignorant and unwilling to listen, then they will never learn the truth.

People have the right to disagree whether or not owning/carrying firearms SHOULD be in the Constitution or a right. Everybody has a right to their opinion

People do not have the right to take their disagreement further and impede upon your Constitutionally granted right. And as long as you know your lawful rights, no matter how much they THINK they know and how things SHOULD be according to them, their disagreement does not matter.

Good post.

[General Geoff]

You are spot-on. Your mother does NOT have a right to not be scared, and it does not matter legally. Too many people attempt to utilize the legal system to silence us gun owners, especially open carriers. Fortunately most police know better, but occasionally we get harassed by police because of uninformed citizens who think carrying a gun is a crime, and call some uninformed police who investigate further.

The bottom line is that these people do NOT have a right to feel safe, or to feel anything. They have a right to pursue happiness, but that's it. You can't curtail another's rights just to make you feel happy. It does not work that way.

[Micky]

Fuck yeah! Right on!

Seriously though, I usually CC, but on occasion I will OC, just for the fuck of it. We are 100% in the right legally, and neither LEO's nor concerned citizens have the right to tell us not to exercise our right. I'd tell me own mother to fuck off as well if she tried to get me to conceal if I didn't feel like it. My gun. My choice. My Rights. The hell with the person that doesn't agree with 'em.

Get some

[51158]

my mother was the same way. I always attributed it to "too much daytime tv"

I grew up in the city, my dad, brother and I use to target practice in the basement with a 22 pistol..

we where a gun owning family, but women are ruled by emotions(on average) and that's a good thing, but you will not teach them anything after a certain age. please don't take offense.....

it's just that is what life's experiences have taught me.

My mom: that's illegal
Me: no it's not
Mom: yes it is
me: ok!

Their is no point in arguing, enjoy while you can..pick your fights..
this one doesn't matter when it come to your parents....

like I said "to much daytime tv" don't fight it.

disclaimer: only applies to family..

[Gun]

It got me to thinking though. When in public the RIGHTS belong to me. I have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms according to our US constitution and the PA constitution and it is clear that open carry is legal in PA.

Do you consider your mother's home public?

[rxer311]

I guess what I really wanted my take home point to be is that there is a right and a wrong side of an arguement, especially the firearms arguement as far as the law is concerned. By agreeing to disagree we are essentially backing down from the right side of the arguement to stroke somebody's ego.

There is RIGHT. There is WRONG. On this arguement we are right. They are wrong. Period. There is no room to agree to disagree. The law is cut and dry. I am no long going to stroke some douchebag's (not referring to my Mom!!!!!!!!!) ego to agree to disagree with them because they are clearly wrong and I will call them out on it.

[Ewussor]

Your mother does NOT have a right to not be scared.

In public, you're correct. But in her own house? Last I looked, private property rights still trump one's right to carry.